President of Postal Workers Supervisors Local in Alaska Charged

On August 19, Kenneth Vanderwyst, former vice president and then president of the Fairbanks chapter of the National Association of Postal Supervisors, was charged in U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska with embezzling $9,541 from a union account from late 2012 through April 7, 2015. He also was charged with fraud in the amount of $5,535.55 over a one-year period via use of gift cards and an access device. The charges follow a Labor Department investigation and a grand jury indictment.

Vanderwyst, 54, a resident of Fairbanks, has problems besides an apparent impulse to steal. Back in December 2013, he had been issued a summons for an incident occurring three months earlier. According to court records, Vanderwyst, highly upset that another motorist had honked his horn at him (after Vanderwyst had cut him off in traffic), followed the other driver back to his home, and once having arrived, jumped out of his car and punched him in the head several times. Fortunately, the victim had the presence of mind to take down the license plate of the assailant. Through a police photo lineup, the driver identified Kenneth Vanderwyst as the assailant. Vanderwyst then was charged with assault. Want more? At the time of the road rage incident, Vanderwyst was facing a separate assault charge for kicking his girlfriend. Clearly, this fellow has major anger management issues. And his union brothers are probably very glad he’s taken a long-term leave of absence.